Chronic Wasting Disease

May 27, 2020

Dr. Peter Larsen, a standout scientist in the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, leads critical research using cutting-edge genomic technologies to address critical issues facing Minnesota’s food production, economy, and environment. He will be with us to present his team’s work on the detection of Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota's deer population.

Chief Judge Minnesota Federal Judiciary

Jun 03, 2020

Chief Judge John R. Tunheim has served as a United States District Judge in the District of Minnesota for twenty-four years after being nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1995. From 1994-1998, Judge Tunheim served as Chair of the U.S. Assassination Records Review Board, a federal agency that declassified the remaining secret records of the assassination of President Kennedy. Before his appointment as a judge, he served as Minnesota’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, where he argued three cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, and earlier, as Staff Assistant to U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey.

The next COLRC Book Club session on June 3 at 5:00 we'll discuss Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. An enormously popular book, here's what Goodreads says: It's "an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder."

Please join us & feel free to invite others, especially those who may like to check out our club. At this session, we'll pick the next book & meeting date, so please bring your calendar & book suggestions.

Questions for discussion (Thanks BookRiot!)

How realistic is Kya’s upbringing in the marsh? Do you believe she really could have made it out there on her own?

Throughout the novel, there are two men who play a major role in Kya’s life: Chase and Tate. How would you compare these two characters?

How did you feel about Jumpin’ and Mabel? How did they influence the person she becomes, if at all?

As the poor, uneducated, and strange “marsh girl,” Kya is ostracized by the community. How does the public’s view of her affect how the justice system treats her?

How did you feel about Tate’s discovery at the end of the novel? Did you expect it? Does it change the way you view the rest of the story?

COVID-19

Jun 10, 2020

Jennifer DeCubellis was named CEO of Hennepin Healthcare in February 2020. She was the Hennepin County Deputy Administrator responsible for the health and human services divisions of the county, where she was a leader in developing Hennepin Health, the nationally recognized partnership between the county and the healthcare system that integrates medical and behavioral care with social services for patients on Medicaid. DeCubellis has served as an Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Assistant County Administrator and Area Director for Hennepin County. She worked at the federal level as an Innovation Advisor for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, where she created and tested system changes designed to improve quality and slow the escalation of costs. She also led Mental Health Authority Services in Harris County, Texas. DeCubellis has an M.A. from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For this MovieWatch meeting, we will discuss The Intouchables. It is a French film made in 2011. It was remade last year in the US with Bryan Cranston & Kevin Hart.'The Intouchables' tells the true story of a quadriplegic aristocrat whose world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored ex-con as his caretaker.

Deputy Chief of Minneapolis Police

Jun 17, 2020

Kathy Waite is the Deputy Chief of Patrol at the Minneapolis Police Department. She oversees patrol operations for the city’s five police precincts and has extensive experience as a Precinct Inspector, serving in that capacity since 2013 starting in the 2nd Precinct and most recently in the 5th Precinct. She began her career with the MPD in 1993 and has held a variety of positions in a number of different units throughout the Department, including K9 Unit and the Crisis Negotiator Team.ief of Patrol and oversees patrol operations for the city’s five police precincts.

Join us for Conversations Over Lunch, a chance to gather virually with other City of Lakers for conversation. New member Karen Scott will be with us to share information on her role at FitBit. She has provided a podcast interview with the CEO & founder of FitBit for anyone interested: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this

Ready for some great conversation with other City of Lakers? Join us for discussion of the book: "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown.

Book Synopsis:Amesmerizing tale of Joe Rantz and the 1936 Olympic eight-oar crew from the University of Washington. But it is much more than a story of athletic endeavor. It’s about a child abandoned by indifferent parents, Americans’ struggle to survive during the Great Depression, a young man’s love of a young woman, and the amazing physical and psychological demands of rowing. It’s about loss and redemption. It has drama and pathos and moral scope. And it culminates on an extraordinary international stage in Berlin in 1936, with Adolf Hitler looking on.